In the art of fences numerous materials and methods have been employed to construct and design fences for various purposes such as containment of livestock, pets, people and the like or for the exclusion of the same. Similarly, guardrails have been employed for the containment or protection of people from hazards. For example, guardrails are commonly utilized on balconies and stairways in high rise apartments, hotel accommodations, office complexes, shopping malls, single family dwellings, and the like. In other instances, fences and guardrails may be employed to add a decorative or aesthetic flourish to such structures and landscapes, and may be found in both interior and exterior applications.
A commonly used fence or guardrail configuration is a rail and spindle design, wherein the fence or guardrail generally comprises upper and lower horizontally disposed rails and a plurality of spindles, vertically disposed between the rails and spaced apart. This common configuration lends itself to construction with numerous materials, depending upon the desired application. For example, a guardrail for a patio deck may simply be constructed with treated lumber, the rails generally being 2″×4″ boards, and the spindles being 1″×1″ boards. By contrast, a guardrail for an interior balcony or stairway, may be elegantly constructed of finely finished hardwoods, polished brass, and the like. Wrought iron, aluminum, and the like are other common materials for such guardrails and fences.
Construction of a guardrail or fence with the traditional materials and methods may also be prohibitive. For example, the aforementioned deck, while simple in design, generally requires that that the spindles be nailed or otherwise attached to the upper and lower rails. More elaborate designs require significant labor, skill, and machinery to perform the necessary millwork or machining on the rails so that the spindles may be received in a aperture or hole, defined in each of the rails. In the case of wrought iron and similar materials, each of the many spindles must be welded to the rails.
For each of these materials, it is desirable that the guardrail or fence be appropriately finished to maintain an attractive appearance and coordinate with the surrounding color scheme or décor. Similarly, particularly in exterior applications, a finish aids in protecting the underlying materials from deterioration as they may be exposed to environmental hazards such as moisture, sun, pollutants, and the like. As the respective finishes are exposed to the elements, they may become weathered, rust, fade, flake and otherwise deteriorate in appearance requiring considerable expense and effort to restore the attractive appearance and protective qualities of the finish. Similarly, should the property owner desire to change the color scheme or décor of the associated structure or landscape, the finish of these materials must be changed to coordinate with the new décor, again requiring considerable expense and effort. Should the property owner desire to significantly alter the décor, the fencing or guardrails may need to be entirely replaced at great expense to the property owner, as the appearance of the fencing is incapable of being modified.
More recently, vinyl, plastics and similar such materials have been found to be advantageous for such applications. They provide a convenient material due to their ease of fabrication, light weight, relative cost, and their ability to maintain an attractive appearance, particularly for exterior fencing and guardrail applications. However, a significant disadvantage of these materials is that many building codes do not approve of their use in applications requiring structural or protective support. Accordingly, their application remains limited due to these restrictions. Should the property owner desire to change the color scheme, these materials possess an added disadvantage in that it is difficult to get paints to reliably adhere to these materials when it is desired to change their color. As with other traditional material, they must be entirely replaced in order to change their design or appearance.